In the past, bracing collars were constructed out of lumber and plywood, or molded out of plastic, or fabricated from steel. Typically, the collar rested on the top of the form. Alternatively, the collar fitted loosely around the circumference of the form near the top end of the form. Once the column form was properly aligned, braces were attached to the collar to hold the column form in place.
These known collars were disadvantageous for bracing column forms because they had to be made to fit a particular diameter form. Additionally, they had to be installed at or near the top end of the form so that the length of the braces had to vary depending on the height of the column form. If the collar was installed around the circumference of the form, there would be some play between the column form and the loosely fitting collar, so that correct alignment of the form, and hence that of the resulting concrete column, could not be ensured.